Between the two sessions, presenters discussed the health effects from things like wildfire smoke exposure and extreme heat; the communities most impacted and how they’re responding; how research and data being done in Montana might help minimize risk; and the need for more research, coordination, and policy action to get ahead of this growing public health crisis.

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Background

Montana’s climate is changing in ways that will profoundly affect our state. The 2017 Montana Climate Assessment provided detailed analyses of the expected impacts from climate change on Montana waters, forests and agriculture. These three sectors were identified by stakeholder groups as topics of high concern for our economy’s well-being as well as the very essence of Montana. Another sector, one that was not addressed in the first Assessment, unites us even more and potentially has great economic and social consequences: the impact of a changing climate on health. The impacts of climate change on health are many, including increased mortality related to cardiovascular and respiratory conditions and heat stress, increased premature births, spread of infectious disease, and higher morbidity and mortality due to extreme weather event-related gastrointestinal disease, to name but a few. The Montana Climate Assessment suggests that future climate changes in Montana will include more frequent and longer heat waves, minimal changes in average precipitation but more extreme precipitation events alternating with droughts, and reduction in both surface waters and soil moisture from increased evaporation. While the impacts of climate change on human health have recently been discussed at the national level, no effort has yet focused on the health implications for Montanans.